Warning Signs Preceded Arrest of Former Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore

Questions surrounding the judgment and mental state of former University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore had circulated internally for years before his December arrest, according to multiple investigative reports that detail unsettling behavior, strained workplace dynamics, and an undisclosed relationship with a staff member, Paige Shiver.

Photo Credit: Paige Shiver / Instagram

For those not in the know, Sherrone Moore is a former college football player and coach who most recently served as head football coach at the University of Michigan from 2024 to 2025.

He played offensive guard at the University of Oklahoma after beginning his career at Butler County Community College, where he won two Big 12 championships and earned a degree in communications. He transitioned into coaching in 2009 at Louisville, later holding assistant coaching and recruiting roles at Central Michigan before joining Michigan in 2018.

An investigation published Monday by The Athletic revealed that Sherrone Moore had engaged in a series of strange and, at times, uncomfortable Instagram exchanges with several women dating back to 2020 and continuing as recently as last month.

Five women told the outlet that Moore contacted them through direct messages or by reacting to their social media stories, interactions that raised concerns but were not considered criminal.

OF Model Mia Sorety has said she received messages from Sherrone Moore. (Instagram: @miasorety)

Two people briefed on the matter told The Athletic that the exchanges were raised with university officials by fall 2024, early in Sherrone Moore’s first season as head coach. Officials reportedly viewed the behavior as a lapse in judgment rather than sexual harassment, though it was described as indicative of deeper issues.

“It was not sexual harassment,” one official told The Athletic. “It was propriety, ‘Are you an idiot?’ kind of stuff.”

Sherrone Moore has been married since 2015 and welcomed a third daughter earlier this year.

He allegedly asked one woman if he could fly her to Michigan. When she questioned whether she would be isolated in a hotel, Moore replied that she would have a driver and said details could be discussed later. Other women described brief but unexpected interactions, including Moore reacting to gym photos with emojis or sending messages shortly after Michigan victories.

According to The Athletic, these interactions coincided with growing concerns inside the football program about Moore’s emotional volatility. Sources said he broke down sobbing during staff meetings, lashed out at colleagues, and was seen eavesdropping outside closed-door meetings within the football facility.

Those issues escalated into a more serious matter involving a female football staff member. An anonymous tip to the university’s human resources department prompted an inquiry and the hiring of the law firm Jenner & Block to conduct an external investigation. The university later fired Moore for cause, citing an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

Additional details emerged Tuesday in a report by the Detroit Free Press, which interviewed more than half a dozen people connected to the program, including former staffers, high-ranking university officials, parents of players, and women Moore had contacted online.

Several sources described the relationship as an open secret within parts of the athletic department. One staffer told the Free Press there was “so much tension and weird, erratic behavior and immaturity” surrounding Moore in the months leading up to his firing.

“I don’t know if it was because of a guilty conscience,” the staffer said, “but clearly there was something going on.”

Another source claimed that staff members working near Moore’s office were aware of the relationship, adding that the signs were difficult to miss. Parents of players also reportedly began voicing concerns after Michigan’s October 11 loss to the University of Southern California, questioning the team’s focus and leadership.

Interim head coach Biff Poggi disputed claims that the situation was widely known, saying the staff was “shocked” when the allegations became public. Even so, a high-ranking university official told the Free Press that Moore had stopped communicating with his coaching staff in the weeks before his termination.

According to both reports, Sherrone Moore admitted to police that the relationship with the staff member lasted roughly two years, beginning while he was still an assistant coach.

Program sources recalled seeing Moore’s car parked late at night at the woman’s apartment complex, and the two were also spotted together at a Michigan lacrosse game in spring 2024. Moore reportedly became angry when warned about the optics of a video showing them together.

The situation culminated on December 10, when Sherrone Moore was arrested after allegedly breaking into the staff member’s apartment. The woman told police Moore threatened to harm himself and her while holding butter knives and a pair of scissors taken from her kitchen. Moore has denied threatening her or engaging in physical violence but acknowledged the relationship.

During a court appearance on December 12, Moore was charged with one count of third-degree felony home invasion, one count of misdemeanor stalking related to a domestic relationship, and one count of misdemeanor breaking and entering. He posted a $25,000 bond, was ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device, and was instructed to have no contact with the woman.

Sherrone Moore is scheduled to return to court on January 22.